Oscar History Part 4: 1953-1962

The Oscar nominations are out, meaning I have work quickly to catch up with 2010 by the time the winners are announced in late February. 



1953

Winner and my pick: From Here to Eternity

Other notable films: Stalag 17, Roman Holiday, Shane, Pickup on South Street, The Big Heat

I actually agree with the pick of Fred Zinnemann's all-star production of James Jones' best-selling novel From Here to Eternity; even with the level of celebrity (Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra), the cast acts as an ensemble.  Also notable is the star-making performance of Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, the work of William Holden in Billy Wilder's Stalag 17, the timeless western tale of Shane, and the dual film noir classics of  Samuel Fuller's Pickup on South Street and Fritz Lang's The Big Heat.

1954

Winner and my pick: On the Waterfront

Other notable films: Rear Window, A Star is Born, Forbidden Games (France, 1952), Sabrina

Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront brought mob violence and union corruption to audiences but anchored the story with an incredible cast: Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Rod Steiger, Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden.  The Academy chose... wisely.  Also of note was Alfred Hitchcock directing James Stewart and Grace Kelly in Rear Window, Judy Garland and James Mason in the remake of A Star is Born, the U.S. release of Rene Clement's film debut Forbidden Games, and Billy Wilder and Audrey Hepburn working together in Sabrina.

1955

Winner: Marty

My pick: Rebel Without a Cause

Other notable films: The Wages of Fear (France, 1953), The Night of the Hunter, Summertime, To Catch a Thief

Marty is very much a film of its time.  The melodrama of Rebel Without a Cause is as well, but its influence on future actors/directors was large, by giving teenagers a place in the medium to see themselves and an icon/martyr to idolize: James Dean.   Henri-Georges Clouzot's great French thriller The Wages of Fear saw release.  Acting giant Charles Laughton's only directorial effort The Night of the Hunter made a child's nightmare come alive in Robert Mitchum.  David Lean collaborated with Katharine Hepburn in Summertime.  Alfred Hitchcock directed Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in the great crime caper/romance To Catch a Thief.

1956

Winner: Around the World in 80 Days

My pick: The Seven Samurai (Japan release in 1954)

Other notable films: The Searchers, La Strada (Italy, 1954), Richard III (UK, 1955), Diabolique (UK, 1955), Giant, The Killing

Around the World in 80 Days is an embarassing choice, especially looking at the strength of work from the U.S. and abroad.  Akira Kurosawa's beloved film epic Seven Samurai influenced a generation of filmmakers.  John Ford and John Wayne made their greatest film collaboration in The Searchers, while Federico Fellini launched to international stardom with La Strada.  Laurence Olivier adapted Shakespeare in Richard III and Henri-Georges Clouzot made a great psychological thriller in Diabolique.  George Stevens directed Montgomery Clift, James Dean, and Elizabeth Taylor in an epic about Texas oil barons called Giant, and Stanley Kubrick's first major film release, the heist-gone-awry film The Killing, was met with some indifference (a problem he would soon lose).

1957

Winner and my pick: The Bridge on the River Kwai

Other notable films: Paths of Glory, 12 Angry Men, Smiles of a Summer Night (Sweden, 1955), Sweet Smell of Success, Nights of Cabiria

This year is an embarassment of riches.  David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai captured audiences and critics' imagination, both in scope and in the performance of Alec Guinness.  Also of note: Stanley Kubrick directing Kirk Douglas in the World War I courtroom drama Paths of Glory, Sidney Lumet directing Henry Fonda and Lee J. Cobb (and 10 others) in a courthouse film of a different sort in 12 Angry Men, Federico Fellini continuing his streak with Nights of Cabira, Ingmar Bergman reaching an international audience with the tragicomedy Smiles of a Summer Night (if only all sex comedies could be this smart and fun), and Burt Lancaster being a magnificent bastard in Sweet Smell of Success.   

1958

Winner: Gigi

My pick: Vertigo

Other notable films: The Seventh Seal (Sweden, 1957), Touch of Evil, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Defiant Ones

Vincente Minnelli's Gigi is one of the less-interesting musicals made by the Hollywood studio system.  A film that did not find its audience and support upon release was Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, a masterpiece of love and obsession.  Ingmar Bergman's meditation on life and death The Seventh Seal created a generation of art house film fans interested in the work of foreign directors.  Orson Welles directed Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, and himself in the crime noir Touch of Evil, also unfairly edited and maligned when released.  Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor electrified audiences in the adaptation of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Stanley Kramer directed Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis in the racially charged The Defiant Ones. 

1959

Winner: Ben-Hur

My pick: Some Like It Hot

Other notable films: Wild Strawberries (Sweden, 1957), North by Northwest, The 400 Blows, Ivan the Terrible Part II (USSR, 1958)

William Wyler's Ben-Hur is still a respectable epic, featuring a grandiose performance by Charlton Heston.  But Billy Wilder struck comedy gold with Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot; men in drag is an easy joke for lesser filmmakers today, but Wilder keeps the humor honest and earns every laugh.  Ingmar Bergman continues to prove his great talent with Wild Strawberries, an introspective look at one's life and relationships.  Alfred Hitchcock revisited his own "wrong man" scenario with Cary Grant in North by Northwest.  Franocis Truffaut transitions from film critic to director in his semi-autobiographical story of youth The 400 Blows.  Sergei Eisenstein' second part of his chronicle of Ivan IV of Russia, showcasing the leader's descent into paranoia, finally saw a Soviet release in 1958 and hit stateside a year later; Eisenstein had died in 1948, never seeing the release or completing the third part of the planned trilogy. 

1960

Winner: The Apartment

My pick: Psycho

Other notable films: Spartacus, Ikiru (Japan, 1952), The Virgin Spring

The Academy honored Billy Wilder's The Apartment, the perfect blend of comedy, romance, and drama.  But Alfred Hitchcock made a film so unlike his previous works that he scandalized audiences and critics; dismissed as being trashy by some, Psycho represents another milestone in creativity by the Master of Suspense (you got to love the trailer for this).  Stanley Kubrick made the most of being a work-for-hire in Kirk Douglas' Roman slave revolt chronicle Spartacus.  From the global stage, Akira Kurosawa's exploration of a man's death in Ikiru and Ingmar Bergman's tale of revenge in The Virgin Spring found homes in art house theaters.

1961

Winner and my pick: West Side Story

Other notable films: Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Throne of Blood (Japan, 1957), La Dolce Vita (Italy, 1960), Yojimbo, The Hustler

A musical triumph, West Side Story is more of an American achievement than a successful Shakespeare adaptation, which is fine.  Audrey Hepburn pushes us away and makes us want her more in Breakfast at Tiffany's.  Paul Newman faces off against Jackie Gleason and George C. Scott in The Hustler.  Federico Fellini's most audacious film La Dolce Vita leaves Italian neo-realism behind and horrifies the Catholic Church (something that is quite fun for filmmakers and audiences).  Akira Kurosawa had two more film classics made their way to the states: his take on MacBeth in Throne of Blood and his classic man playing both sides to his advantage Yojimbo.

1962

Winner and my pick: Lawrence of Arabia

Other notable films: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Manchurian Candidate, Jules and Jim, Through a Glass Darkly (Sweden, 1961)

David Lean and Peter O'Toole make film history with Lawrence of Arabia.  Gregory Peck brings one of the great heroes of all time from page to screen in To Kill a Mockingbird.  John Frankenheimer makes Cold War paranoia heats up with his assassination thriller The Manchurian Candidate.  Francois Truffaut gives the classic friends-love-triangle a look with Jules and Jim.  Ingmar Bergman begins his exploration of the absence of God with a family's destruction by mental illness in Through a Glass Darkly. 

Oscar History Part 3: 1947-1952

More picks.  For 2010, the ramp-up has started, with critics' picks, guild nominations, and the Golden Globes on Sunday.  We'll have Oscar nominations in a few weeks.

1947

Winner: Gentleman’s Agreement

My pick: Beauty and the Beast (France release in 1946)

Other notable films: Stairway to Heaven (released in UK in 1946 as A Matter of Life and Death), Great Expectations (UK, 1946), Black Narcissus, Ivan the Terrible Part I (USSR, 1944)

Elia Kazan's Gentleman's Agreement is a fine film that addressed an important issue for its day: anti-Semitism.  But the great power of Jean Cocteau's live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast cannot be denied; a great fantasy for all ages and all time.  Powell and Pressburger continue their great work in Stairway to Heaven and Black Narcissus, David Lean's Great Expectations may be the definitive Dickens adaptation, and Sergei Eisenstein's first of two films to chronicle the life of the historical Russian leader is a strong production, chronicling the rise and pomp of the leader.

 

1948

Winner: Hamlet

My pick: Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Other notable films: Red River, The Red Shoes, The Naked City

Laurence Olivier's Hamlet is maybe the best adaptation of Shakespeare's masterwork.  But John Huston's great parable of greed Treasure of the Sierra Madre was the best, with a dark performance by Humphrey Bogart.  Powell and Pressburger's The Red Shoes represents the pinnacle of their work, combining an adaptation of the famed ballet with a behind-the-scenes look at the lives and loves of the artists; one of the most beautiful films.  Red River is a classic Western featuring a solid performance by John Wayne.  One should not forget Jules Dassin's documentary-style film noir The Naked City.

 

1949

Winner: All the King’s Men

My pick: Bicycle Thieves (Italy release in 1948)

Other notable films: A Letter to Three Wives, A Canterbury Tale (UK, 1944), The Heiress, The Fallen Idol (UK, 1948)

All the President's Men is a great political fable, but Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves is one of the greatest films ever made; if your heart does not break, you are not human.  A Letter to Three Wives is a strong family drama.  Powell and Pressburger's A Canterbury Tale is a solid adaptation.  Oliva de Havilland's performance in The Heiress is powerful.  Carol Reed's The Fallen Idol combines childhood adulation with adult fallibility. 

 

1950

Winner: All About Eve

My pick: Sunset Boulevard

Other notable films: The Third Man (UK, 1950), The Rules of the Game (France, 1939), Night and the City, The Asphalt Jungle

All About Eve is a classic story of actors in competition, but Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard represents the classic melding of Hollywood, madness, and creativity.  Along with Carol Reed's The Third Man (featuring the memorable Orson Welles) and Jean Renoir's tale of society class and corruption The Rules of the Game, the year was exceptionally strong.  

1951

Winner: An American in Paris

My pick: A Streetcar Named Desire

Other notable films: Strangers on a Train, The African Queen, A Place in the Sun
An American in Paris is a weaker musical when compared to the work of Gene Kelly the following year, but Elia Kazan's adaptation of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire features untouched performances by Brando and Leigh.  John Huston's pairing of Bogart and Katharine Hepburn in The African Queen is a classic adventure story.  George Stevens' A Place in the Sun adapts a classic American tragedy.

1952

Winner: The Greatest Show on Earth

My pick: Rashomon (Japan release in 1951)

Other notable films: Singin in the Rain, High Noon, The Bad and the Beautiful

There's no defense of Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth; easily one of the worst picks in Oscar history.  The Bad and the Beautiful is another classic tale of Hollywood.  High Noon features a career best performance by Gary Cooper.  The best American-made film is Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly's Singin in the Rain, a musical all but overlooked by the Academy.  But the best picture of the year is Akira Kurosawa's masterwork of memory and perspective Rashomon.

Oscar History Part 2: 1941-1946

1941

Winner: How Green Was My Valley

My pick: Citizen Kane

Other notable films: The Maltese Falcon, Fantasia, The Lady Eve

One of the years that always gets mentioned when discussing "Oscar gets it wrong".  John Ford's How Green Was My Valley is an alright film, but the legacy of Orson Welles' acting/writing/directing trifecta in Citizen Kane is unmatched.  Its initial impact and controversy is likely what kept it from victory.  John Huston also directed Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon, Walt Disney released his showcase of classical music, Fantasia, and Preston Sturges directed a comedic romance between Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda in The Lady Eve.

1942

Winner: Mrs. Miniver

My pick: Sullivan’s Travels (late 1941 release)

Other notable films: Yankee Doodle Dandy, The Magnificent Ambersons, Bambi

Preston Sturges is regarded as the first screenwriter, an established success in that field, to move into directing.  He elevated the screwball comedy with his naturalistic dialogue, and Sullivan's Travels represents the best of his work.  William Wyler's Mrs. Miniver was an important film at the time in its melodramatic depiction of the wartime costs for an English family, though I question whether it has aged well.  Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons is a powerful family drama, even its heavily studio-edited form, while Walt Disney continued his streak with the wonderful Bambi.  And James Cagney gave us a classic performance in Yankee Doodle Dandy.

1943

Winner and my pick: Casablanca (late 1942 release)

Other notable films: Shadow of a Doubt

One of the years where "Oscar gets it right".  Michael Curtiz's direction, the performances of all the actors, from Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman to Claude Rains to Peter Lorre.  The dialogue.  The music.  Perfect.  Also memorable is Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt, featuring Teresa Wright as a girl who's idyllic small town life is is shattered when she begins to suspect her favorite uncle, played by Joseph Cotten, is a murderer.

1944

Winner: Going My Way

My pick: Double Indemnity

Other notable films: Gaslight, The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek, Meet Me in St. Louis, Laura

Bing Crosby in Going My Way connected with audiences, but it's a little too safe for me.  The great Billy Wilder writes and directs what may be the greatest film noir Double Indemnity, featuring a true femme fatale in Barbara Stanwyck.  Ingrid Bergman gives a haunting portrayal of a woman in peril in Gaslight, Preston Sturges delivers another classic in The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, Judy Garland continues to charm in Meet Me in St. Louis, and Otto Preminger directs another great film noir in Laura.

1945

Winner and my pick: The Lost Weekend

Other notable films: Spellbound, To Have and Have Not (late 1944 release), The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (UK, 1943)

This was a weaker year for films, but Billy Wilder had an Oscar coming to him for The Lost Weekend, about a writer on an alcoholic binge.  Also notable was the work of Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman in Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound, the great pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in To Have and Have Not, and Powell and Pressburger's satire The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp.

1946

Winner: The Best Years of Our Lives

My pick: Notorious

Other notable films: Children of Paradise (France, 1945), It’s a Wonderful Life, Brief Encounter (UK, 1945), Henry V (UK, 1944), The Big Sleep

One of the greatest years for films.  You could easily make a case for William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives, which chronicled the home life of World War II veterans; it was the most sucessful film since Gone with the Wind.  Marcel Carne's Children of Paradise, made during the Nazi occupation of France, chronicled the Parisian theatre scene of the 1820s and 30s, and maybe the greatest French film ever made.  Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart make film magic in It's a Wonderful Life, Laurence Olivier stars in and directs Shakespeare's Henry V, Bogart and Bacall continue their great chemistry in The Big Sleep, and David Lean directs the tragic British romance Brief Encounter. But my pick is Alfred Hitchcock, a consisently great filmmaker, directing Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains in the espionage thriller/romance Notorious.  It represents maybe the best of Hitchcock's work for the era.

Oscar History Part 1: 1927-1940

* This initially appeared on my Xanga blog, but has been reproduced here, with some additional material.




I've decided to do a quick overview of the Best Picture winners, from Wings in 1927-1928 to The Hurt Locker in 2009, concluding with whatever is chosen as the Best Picture of 2010 on February 27, less than two months fron now. 


My first few posts will consolidate the years and move quickly, but I might write more on a given year when I think there were several worthy films.  I will highlight the winner and then discuss my pick for Best Picture. 


I generally follow the rule of thumb for foreign films that their eligibility for Best Picture is tied to when the film is released in the United States.  This results in a gap of 1 or more years for many foreign films, but addresses something the Academy often fails to do- recognize world cinema.  In some years, the offerings from abroad are of far better quality than the American productions.


1927-1928
Winner: Wings
My pick: Metropolis
Other notable films: Sunrise, The Passion of Joan of Arc, The Circus
German director Fritz Lang's silent masterpiece has grown in stature since its initial release.  While it was butchered in its American release, we have seen the cut expanded, most recently in 2010 with the inclusion of recently-discovered footage previously believed to be lost.  The influence of this film on directors from Ridley Scott to Terry Gilliam to Tim Burton cannot be overstated.

1928-1929
Winner: Broadway Melody
My pick: Nosferatu (German release in 1922)
Other notable films: Pandora's Box, Napoleon, The Wind
F.W. Murnau's "symphony of horror" didn't receive an American release until the director had already immigrated to the states and begun to work with the Hollywood studio system, with films such as Sunrise and City Girl.  The performance of Max Schreck as Count Orlok stands strong alongside the work of Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and Lon Chaney.

1929-1930
Winner and my pick: All Quiet on the Western Front
Other notable films: City Girl, Hell's Angels
Lewis Milestone's World War I adaptation moved audiences at the time of its release.  It remains a powerful statement on the costs of war, with a tragic ending that still packs a punch.

 




1930-1931
Winner: Cimarron
My pick: City Lights
Other notable films: Dracula, Le Million, The Public Enemy
Charlie Chaplin's work as the Tramp was never better than in City Lights.

 




1931-1932
Winner: Grand Hotel
My pick: Scarface
Other notable films: Vampyr, Frankenstein
Forget the Al Pacino parody from the 1980s.  The work of director Howard Hawks and actor Paul Muni elevates this pre-Code crime film that shocked the audiences of the day.  Carl Dreyer's Vampyr and James Whales' Frankenstein both represent classic horror films that hold great power. 

 




1932-1933
Winner: Cavalcade
My pick: King Kong
Other notable films: M (Germany 1931), Duck Soup, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
One of the all-time greats.  Like Metropolis, Snow White and The Wizard of Oz, it is a timeless tale that continues to enthrall.  Fritz Lang's classic thriller M is a very close second in my book.  And you can't do much better with the Marx Brothers than Duck Soup.

 




1934
Winner and my pick: It Happened One Night
Other notable films: The Thin Man, The Gay Divorcee
Director Frank Capra makes a classic romantic comedy, with the appropriate amount of screwball.  Great performances by Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert.

 




1935
Winner: Mutiny on the Bounty
My pick: Bride of Frankenstein
Other notable films: The Informer, The 39 Steps
A sequel that improves greatly on the original horror classic, Bride features career bests from both director James Whale and Boris Karloff, who injects great pathos into the Monster.

 




1936
Winner: The Great Ziegfeld
My pick: Modern Times
Other notable films: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, A Tale of Two Cities, My Man Godfrey
Chaplin's last "silent film" gives the Tramp an appropriate send-off.

 




1937
Winner: The Life of Emile Zola
My pick: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Other notable films: A Star Is Born, The Awful Truth, Make Way for Tomorrow
Walt Disney changed film forever with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  Today, there's a glut of derivative animated movies playing to the lowest common denominator, but there's still some work that continues the legacy begun here.

 




1938
Winner: You Can't Take It With You
My pick: Grand Illusion (France release in 1937)
Other notable films: The Adventures of Robin Hood, Bringing Up Baby, Pygmalion
Grand Illusion was the first foreign film to be nominated for Best Picture by the Academy.  This work of Jean Renoir is one of the cornerstones of French cinema and a humanistic portrayal of individuals operating in a war footing.  The best American film was easily Robin Hood, but the power of Grand Illusion cannot be denied.

 






1939
Winner: Gone with the Wind
My pick: The Wizard of Oz
Other notable films: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Stagecoach, Wuthering Heights, The Lady Vanishes (UK, 1938), Alexander Nevsky (USSR, 1938)
It wasn't as successful at the time as the winner, but The Wizard of Oz's legacy in film has been secured.  Both films were directed by Victor Fleming, but Oz gave us the best musical and best song in film history.  This may be the perfect film, in a year filled with great films, both American and otherwise.

 




1940
Winner: Rebecca
My pick: The Grapes of Wrath
Other notable films: The Philadelphia Story, The Great Dictator, Pinocchio
I love early Alfred Hitchcock and Rebecca is certainly a key film for him, but director John Ford's adaptation of Steinbeck's classic novel about Depression era migrant workers is a seminal film for both Ford and actor Henry Fonda.  Fonda's closing monologue is one of film's most powerful.  Chaplin's first "sound" film The Great Dictator and Disney's second animated feature Pinocchio also made it a compelling year.

 






I shall return with another brief overview to bring us through the 1940s and 1950s.  The plan is to catch up to 2010 by the time of the Academy Awards on February 27, so please keep reading and commenting.

Moving from Xanga to Blogger.

After some slight prodding, I have decided to move my future blog entries to Blogger.  The first project is my Oscar History project I've been working on for quite some time. 


I will also go back and reproduce some of my key blog entries from Xanga (Best Movies of the Year, My Best of 2000s, Oscar picks from the past few years).


Here's the link to the old blog.  It will no longer be maintained and may be closed by Xanga at some future date.


http://www.xanga.com/hosssauce